1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to vehicle washing apparatus and, more particularly, to a vehicle washing apparatus employing one or more rotating brush assemblies for automatically cleaning one or more of the front, sides and back of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous devices are known in the art for washing vehicles by employing rotating brush assemblies for cleaning one or more of the front, sides and back of a vehicle. Most of these prior art devices are complicated in construction and require the use of extensive power control systems to effect a proper movement of the brush assembly to effectively clean the vehicle. For example, in wrap-around rotating brush assemblies, hydraulic power control systems are often used to move the brush assemblies along the front, side and back of a vehicle. Such hydraulic power control systems require close supervision and extensive maintenance and adjustment in order to operate properly. Consequently, most of the vehicle washing apparatus presently available have been expensive to construct, operate and maintain.
Various solutions to many of the above problems have recently been proposed. For example, a vehicle wrap-around cleaning apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,972 issued to the above-named inventor on Mar. 20, 1973, in which a brush assembly with an articulated arm is used to wash the front, side and rear of a vehicle. The articulated arm is biased by various springs and shock absorbers to enable the brush assembly to pass along the front, side and rear of the vehicle without the use of any complicated power control system. The brush is rotated in a direction whereby the reaction force of the brush against the vehicle together with the biasing of the various springs causes the brush to move itself and walk along the front, side and rear surfaces of the vehicle. Although the washing apparatus described in the above patent considerably reduces the construction, operation and maintenance problems previously associated with rotating brush assemblies in vehicle washing apparatus, further simplifications of such rotating brush assemblies are highly desirable.